Belly Dancing Costumes

I've been reading with some interest a discussion on what has most revolutionized dancewear; belly dancing costumes in particular. The consensus seemed to be -- Lycra® (or spandex) and other really good stretch fabrics. It seems spandex is a fabric that's available in lots of colors with different qualities such as shiny and matte, making it extremely versatile. It's reportedly very easy to work with even for the most rank amateur. I've even seen a site called 'sew your own spandex bodysuit'.

Some interesting facts about lycra: Commercialized in 1962, spandex brand elastane fiber capped two decades of research to produce a good synthetic elastomeric fiber. Spandex is a segmented polyurethane. The stretch and recovery properties of spandex provide fabrics and garments with comfort, fit and freedom of movement. Textile mills knit or weave spandex with virtually every other fiber, including cotton, wool, silk and nylon. It's known as elastane in many parts of the world.

Going way beyond the realm of belly dancing costumes, spandex has been used in the auto market to allow door panel fabrics to stretch and then adhere tightly to the doors.

So from all angles, it seems that if you are looking for a good, versatile fabric to include in your repertoire for making belly dance costumes, spandex is it!

Want to read more about belly dance costumes? Click here to check out my blog, http://bellydancingcostumes.brighterplanet.org/